audie cole

Facing the prospect of a three-game slide, the Minnesota Vikings are down two starters against the Detroit Lions this afternoon. Both Alex Boone and Eric Kendricks will miss this week’s game with concussions suffered in the team’s Week 9 loss, a drubbing at the hands of the Chicago Bears.

As expected, Audie Cole will start in Kendricks’ place and Jeremiah Sirles will start at left guard for Boone. This isn’t the first time the Vikings have been without key contributors; Andrew Sendejo, Jerick McKinnon, and Marcus Sherels all missed last week’s game, though they’re slated to return against the Lions.

The Minnesota Vikings were without a few starters last week, and that will be the case against the Seattle Seahawks tonight. Many of the names on this evening’s inactives list should play next week in what many consider to be a regular season “tune up.” But for now, a cautious approach means the Vikings will take the field with a lineup that’s very different from the one we’ll see in Week 1.

The only new addition is Tre Roberson, the quarterback-turned-cornerback who impressed in his first action last Friday. Gone from the list are Adrian Peterson, Marcus Sherels, and Terence Newman. Peterson isn’t expected to play, as he rarely suits up for the preseason, but Neman will return and likely start at left cornerback. Sherels, the team’s designated punt returner, may field a few kicks tonight.

Ten players didn’t make the trip to Cincinnati for the Minnesota Vikings and won’t take the field in the team’s first preseason game of the year. They’re joined by Adrian Peterson and Brandon Fusco, who traveled with the team but will not suit up tonight.

A few notable names include Jarius Wright, Terence Newman, Marcus Sherels, and Eric Kendricks; all were starters in 2015 and expect to remain so when the regular season begins.

Brooks ranks the teams based upon how many “blue-chip players” are on the roster, which are those regarded as “among the top players in the NFL at their respective positions.” He says “championship teams usually have around eight to 10 blue-chip players on the roster.”

Brooks lists Adrian Peterson, Kyle Rudolph, Linval Joseph, Everson Griffen, Anthony Barr, Xavier Rhodes and Harrison Smith as blue-chip players that should help the Vikings be one of the heavyweight contenders in the NFC.

Not only do the Vikings have a solid core of blue-chip players, but GM Rick Spielman and Head Coach Mike Zimmer are also collecting a growing list of rising young talent.

Acquiring too much talent is never a bad thing for an NFL franchise, that is as long as you’re not a player dangerously close to the 53-man cut bubble.

The Vikings’ coaching staff may need to burn some late-night oil when they begin the process of narrowing this talent-rich team down to the top 53 players. With OTA’s in full swing and the competition process ramping up for training camp, here are six prominent players who might find themselves in peril of losing their roster spots.

The bubble; the void at the bottom of an NFL roster where a player’s season can sink or swim. Minnesota Vikings punt returner Marcus Sherels has made a living on the bubble, scraping his way onto the final 53-man roster like clockwork each year. Journeymen and undrafted free agents spend most of their careers on the edge, but they’re not the only ones in fear of the eventual ‘pop.’

When a team like the Vikings consistently builds through the draft and retains young talent each offseason, they make it more difficult for those at the bottom of the depth chart to stick around. Sometimes, it’s a matter of circumstances; when Rick Spielman uses a first round pick on a wide receiver, another will have to go to make room on the roster. Other times, it’s a matter of players wearing out their welcome; think Gerald Hodges last year, and possibly, Cordarrelle Patterson this offseason.

Front offices have to make sacrifices when constructing a roster. It’s the reality of life in the NFL, where starting positions are only guaranteed if your name is Adrian Peterson or Teddy Bridgewater. Spielman’s cuts, as they do each year, will include a few surprising names. Who, exactly? That’s what the Vikings Territory team is going to try and answer today!

Fill in the blank — ‘Player X’ will not make the final 53-man roster for the Vikings.